Both parents worked for the Post Office, Max as deputy chief postmaster of Wellington, and Gail as a typist.

[6][10] At the age of 16, she entered the Wellington Teachers' College, and after graduation taught primary school in Upper Hutt and Wainuiomata.

[13] She met Tony Abbott at a Sydney pub in 1988; he was then a journalist with The Bulletin and they married on 24 September 1988, and have three daughters (Louise, Frances, and Bridget),[14] and became grandparents in 2021.

[16] In September 2013, Abbott attracted media attention when she made comments apparently supportive of same-sex marriage; her husband was one of its most prominent opponents.

[17] In May 2014, Tim Mathieson, the partner of former prime minister Julia Gillard, gave an interview in which he said he was "disappointed that Margie Abbott is not doing any charity work [...] she has not contributed to any of them".